Gate vs Futu vs Tiger: As the cross-border investment environment changes, what are investors paying attention to?

Over the past decade, internet brokerage firms and digital asset platforms have jointly promoted the popularization of global asset allocation concepts. An increasing number of Chinese investors have begun to access the U.S. stock market, gradually bringing assets such as Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, and Nasdaq ETFs into the view of ordinary investors.

Meanwhile, the rapid development of the digital asset market has led more and more users to form cross-market investment habits. From Bitcoin to AI tech stocks, from ETFs to gold and index products, the ways of global asset allocation are changing.

Against this backdrop, investors' concerns are quietly shifting. Compared to the past when they simply compared account opening experiences and trading costs, more users are now focusing on the platform’s product ecosystem, asset management capabilities, and long-term development directions.

Futu and Tiger once changed the way Chinese users participate in the U.S. stock market

Looking back at the development over the past ten years, Futu and Tiger are undoubtedly important representatives of the internet brokerage model.

Compared to traditional overseas brokers with complex account opening and trading procedures, both platforms lowered the participation threshold through mobile internet models, making it easier for ordinary investors to access the U.S. capital markets. Real-time quotes, community ecosystems, and rich trading tools further enhanced user experience.

From an industry development perspective, Futu and Tiger not only promoted the popularization of global asset allocation concepts but also, to some extent, completed investor education, leading more and more people to pay attention to overseas market opportunities.

As market environments and user demands continue to evolve, the platform competition logic is also constantly progressing. In the past, investors mainly cared about account opening convenience, commission levels, and market data services. Today, more users are focusing on capital efficiency, multi-asset allocation, and unified asset management capabilities.

The questions investors care about are changing

The AI industry continues to drive U.S. tech stocks higher, refocusing global capital on the U.S. markets. Over the past two years, tech giants like Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon have benefited from the AI commercialization wave, attracting large capital inflows.

At the same time, the approval of Bitcoin ETFs and the gradual maturity of the digital asset market have led more investors to form new asset portfolios.

In the past, many users’ assets were mainly concentrated in BTC, ETH, and popular tokens. Now, more investors are simultaneously allocating AI tech stocks, ETFs, gold, and index assets.

In this context, the importance of platforms is no longer just about providing trading functions but also about whether they can help users manage assets more efficiently across different markets.

In a sense, the answer to the question “Which platform is best for buying U.S. stocks” is also changing. In the past, users compared account opening speed and fees; now, more investors are paying attention to product ecosystems, capital efficiency, and whether platforms can connect to more markets.

How do Gate and traditional internet brokerages differ in development paths?

Although both serve the needs of global asset allocation, their development directions are not the same.

Internet brokerages have long focused on stocks and ETFs, while digital asset platforms are more based on the crypto asset ecosystem, gradually extending into traditional financial markets.

As of May 2026, Gate supports over 10,000 stocks and ETFs, and has launched 605 TradFi CFD products covering stocks, indices, forex, precious metals, and commodities. Besides real stocks, users can also participate through ETFs, stock CFDs, perpetual stocks, and tokenized stocks.

Therefore, there is no simple superiority or inferiority between different platforms; instead, they represent different development paths.

For users who manage assets with digital assets over the long term, the efficiency of connecting digital assets with traditional financial markets is also becoming a new focus.

Why are more crypto users paying attention to multi-asset platforms?

In recent years, crypto users’ asset allocation habits have been changing.

More users are no longer satisfied with a single digital asset market and are beginning to pay attention to AI tech stocks and traditional financial assets simultaneously. For long-term holders of stablecoins, participating in different markets through a unified account also means further improving capital utilization.

For users already accustomed to managing assets with digital assets, multi-asset systems are also becoming a new source of attraction.

Platform competition is shifting from “what can I buy” to “how to manage global assets”

If the past core of platform competition was account opening efficiency and trading costs, the focus of future competition may change.

As digital asset markets and traditional financial markets continue to merge, more investors are allocating assets across different types. The competition among platforms is gradually shifting from “who can offer more assets” to “who can help users connect to more markets.”

In the future, more users may hold digital assets, AI tech stocks, ETFs, gold, and index products simultaneously. In this context, the development trend of multi-asset platforms aligns closely with the needs of global asset allocation.

The value of platforms is also gradually evolving from trading tools to gateways for global asset management.

Summary

The ways of global asset allocation are constantly evolving, and investors’ concerns are also changing.

Futu and Tiger have driven the development of the internet brokerage model, while digital asset platforms are exploring new paths to connect crypto assets with traditional financial markets. As more investors begin to hold multiple types of assets simultaneously, the ability to manage multi-asset portfolios and connect to global markets is likely to become a key focus in next-stage platform competition.

For investors, the question “Which platform is best for buying U.S. stocks” may no longer have a single answer, as different development paths are now catering to different user needs.

FAQ

What are the differences between Gate, Futu, and Tiger?

Their development paths differ. Futu and Tiger mainly focus on the internet brokerage model, while Gate is gradually expanding from the crypto asset ecosystem into stocks and more TradFi products.

Why are more investors paying attention to multi-asset allocation?

The development of the AI industry, the maturity of digital asset markets, and global capital flows have led more investors to focus on stocks, ETFs, digital assets, and other traditional financial products simultaneously.

What types of participation does Gate support for the U.S. stock market?

Gate currently supports real stocks, ETFs, stock CFDs, perpetual stocks, and tokenized stocks.

What are the characteristics of using USDT for global asset allocation?

For long-term stablecoin holders, unified accounts and multi-asset systems can improve capital efficiency and reduce switching costs between different markets.

Will multi-asset platforms become the future trend?

As digital asset markets and traditional financial markets continue to merge, multi-asset platforms are expected to become an important direction for global asset management.